Manch - Nine Diverse Visions of Theatre

Watch Stories Come To Life At Manch

Manch is a collaborative initiative by Bhasha Centre and district by Zomato, designed to enhance the producorial capacity of Indian theatre groups. Launched in 2022, this platform brings together visionary theatre companies from across India, focusing on both artistic excellence and financial sustainability. Manch aids theatre groups in finance management, programming, and marketing, ensuring each production runs for a minimum of 25 shows.

Since its inception, Manch has collaborated with eight theatre companies, staging nine compelling plays over 100 times in ten cities and participating in nine major cultural festivals. Along the journey, these productions have garnered critical acclaim and prestigious awards.

Upcoming At Manch

After All is an adaptation of Sum, a collection of short stories by neuro-scientist David Eagleman. It builds on his multiple imaginations of the afterlife, of heaven and hell, and of God. More crucially, it uses the afterlife to question the lives we lead in the "here" and "now". Who and what we are to each other while we are here? Does the logic of human relationships transcend the lives we live? Will our actions, our cruelties and our sacrifices confound someone viewing them from a distance? Will they confound us, too? When all our lives and choices are seen in aggregate, what is the sum of all its parts?

Produced by The Tadpole Repertory

Language: Multilingual - English & Hindi

Age Advisory: 15+

Asymptomatic is a cocktail of comedy, tragedy, farce, dance, stand up, theatre all rolled into one. And like a cocktail, it has a particular effect on whoever watches it.

Who among us has never faced rejection? Whether for a job, a programme, a relationship...?

The piece tells the story of an artist hungry for success, and rebuffed at every turn. What happens to a person who needs to constantly prove themselves, prove their worth?

A solo performance, Asymptomatic is a hard look at the power systems that largely govern who will succeed and who will not, presented with bold - and funny - irreverence.

Written, directed and performed by Abhay Mahajan

Duration: 60 min

Language: English/ Hindi/ Marathi

Age Advisory: 16+

The stories in Bhagi Hui Ladkiyan begin on a random day. These are first hand retellings of day to day in Nizamuddin basti. The spectator is invited to enter the performer's world- through everydayness of the narrative. The play explores the actors’ gendered bodies and their relationship with the self, others and public spaces - the piece uses objects, physical theatre, and cartography to devise a thought provoking experience.

Bhagi Hui Ladkiyan was commissioned as a part of Gender Bender 2016 supported by Goethe Institut Bangalore and Sandbox Collective. Dhwani Vij collaborated with Aagaaz Theatre Trust to develop a 15 minute long piece, which was presented at the festival as a work-in-progress piece. The original piece was devised with two actors - Nagina and Jasmine. With the support of the Refunction Grant by Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan Delhi, an hour long show was directed with 4 actors. It has been performed at Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards Festival 2019 and received Special Jury Mention and at Rang Rajasthan Theatre Festival, 2024 Jaipur.

Produced by Aagaaz Theatre Trust

Duration: 65 min

Language: Hindustani

Age Advisory: 16+

In a desolate landscape ruled by a fascist regime, Feroza and Aditya, a typically mismatched couple, embark on a quest to unravel life's meaning, love, and politics. The story delves into their relationship non-linearly, as a strict law limits daily word usage to 140. Feroza, a public prosecutor, and Aditya, a music artist, struggle to communicate amid the law's anxieties, questioning if they can overcome the chaos in their dynamics.

The play explores the politics of love between a man and a woman, confronts an activist and a state representative, and challenges the privileges in engaging with marginalised struggles. The totalitarian law's impact on society and individual minds is evident, prompting an inquiry into the true meaning of "personal is political." Through Aditya and Feroza's flawed relationship, the play reflects the fragmented reality of contemporary times. It has received 5 Awards, toured multiple cities and been performed in 5 Theatre festivals.

Produced by Aasakta

Duration: 105 min (without interval)

Language: Marathi

Age Advisory: 18+

For this Girl of 25, life with herself is continually turbulent. This morning is particularly overwhelming; she is assaulted by self-doubt, unemployment, too much social media, and her mother. Still, she must brave the mundanity and frivolousness of urban girlhood, all the while looking for someone to blame. This is the story of an ordinary day in her life. The play has been performed at Jaipur Rang Mahotsav, 2023 in Jaipur.

Produced by Tafreehwale

Duration: 60 min

Language: English with some Hindi

Age Advisory: 16+

What does it take to choose love over hate? What does it take to choose friendship over fear?

Described as a visual treat, Just Hiss tells us a story for our times about non-violence, the need to be your authentic self, to forgive, to not forget and to co-exist with all beings; with live sounds, original music and songs. An original script inspired by a short story titled, ‘A Serpent's Predicament’. This fun play with strong visual elements, live sound, music and songs leaves the young ones with memorable characters and ponder-worthy questions from this modern parable. The play premiered at Rangashankara’s AHA! Theatre for Children festival, 2023 and was also performed at Shadipur Naatak Utsav 2024 for Children in Delhi.

Produced by Our Theatre Collective

Duration: 50 min

Language: English, Hindi, Kannada

Age Advisory: 8+

A crisis in a nameless country brings about a demand for change. A motley group of young people seek to chart out a course for a ‘new country’, a new identity, fresh values, a space to feel safe within ... They argue and fight, they ridicule and educate each other, they reveal their dreams, fears and secrets. Their quest to define a new world is a voyage into some great unknown: to a place they can only imagine and covering a distance they cannot fully conceive. It is also a leap of faith, for them and for us. At the very least, they will arrive to tell the tale. The play has been previously performed at the D.R.I.F.T. Theatre Festival in 2024 and the Little Stint Theatre Festival in 2024.

Produced by Aagaaz Theatre Trust

Duration: 70 min

Language: Hindustani

Age Advisory: 15+

Based on a story by Sujatha Padmanabhan, the play explores the crisis in Ang village through the eyes of Shweta, a young Adivasi girl from Mumbai.

The residents of Ang, a small village in the Himalayan mountains in Ladakh, wake up one morning to find an unusual visitor in their midst. The villagers are angry, very angry, and threaten to kill the visitor. Rigzin, a young lad of the village is the only one who feels that the visitor must be spared.

Produced by Gillo Repertory Theatre

Duration: 50 min

Language: English

Age Advisory: 7 - 14 years

"The Open Couple" by Dario Fo delves into the turbulent dynamics of a modern relationship. Set against a backdrop of societal expectations and gender roles, the play follows the tumultuous journey of a couple who experiment with the concept of an "open" relationship. As their once stable union unravels, the drama unfolds through sharp wit, biting humour, and poignant moments of vulnerability. Fo masterfully explores themes of trust, communication, and the complexities of love, inviting audiences to confront the stark realities of human connection. With its rapid-fire dialogue and unpredictable twists, "The Open Couple" captivates audiences with its raw emotional intensity and thought-provoking exploration of contemporary relationships.

Produced by La Compagnie Dramatique

Duration: 70 min

Language: English

Age Advisory: 18+